Four examples of projects to benefit from this welcome boost include; a new home for a London church; the opportunity to ‘horse around’ for young people in Scotland; a community larder in the shape of a telephone box; and a farm with a difference.
Find out more…
King’s Cross Church, London
An £8,000 Benefact Trust grant to King’s Cross Church will support the restoration of King’s House - a community centre in the heart of King’s Cross - as a space to bring mission partnerships together to collaborate more effectively in supporting the local community. The focus will be on three key areas of community need - food poverty, youth and family support, and mentoring and reconciliation for those released from nearby HMP Pentonville Prison.
King’s Cross Church is currently without a home, and so the new property will also provide a central base with seating for up to 200 people and will be perfect for group activities, events, charities and services.
Liberton Vaulters, Edinburgh
Liberton Vaulters is an Equestrian Vaulting Group run on a voluntary basis on the south side of Edinburgh, within half a mile of some of the most disadvantaged areas in Scotland. Liberton Vaulters provides local young people, especially those facing challenging circumstances, the opportunity to participate in vaulting and help them to develop positive life skills and fulfil their potential. They believe that horses can be a God given vehicle for healing, restoration and character development. Benefact Trust funding of £3,000 will support the construction of a covered arena to allow sessions to take place, whatever the weather.
Park Church, Aldershot, Hampshire
A grant of £750 from Benefact Trust will enable Park Church to purchase and kit out an iconic red telephone box in the local area, to provide an ‘open all hours’ community larder for people who need access to food, without having to wait for a referral or the foodbanks to be open. This project hopes to address the growing problem of food poverty for families and older people in the community, which has been exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic.
Pennyhooks Farm Trust, Shrivenham, Wiltshire
Pennyhooks Farm Trust has been supporting the community for over 20 years, helping young people with autism to learn animal care and gardening to give them confidence and help them gain experience in new skills. COVID-19 has had a big effect on the services the farm provides, with many young people not understanding why they can’t attend their usual activities, causing anxiety and increased pressure at home. £2,250 Benefact Trust funding will help the farm to adapt their facilities and create a COVID safe environment so that students can return to Pennyhooks and re-establish their routines, and in doing so, improve their mental health and wellbeing.
